
Liverpool are considering signing Bournemouth striker Antoine Semenyo in the January transfer window. Semenyo has made a strong start to the Premier League season, scoring six goals in eight games—despite receiving offers from Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United in the summer window, the Ghanaian winger ultimately chose to stay with Andoni Iraola’s "Cherries". However, Bournemouth, who have seen a surge in form, are well aware of the challenge of retaining Semenyo long-term, and Liverpool have now joined the race for the right winger.
The Reds have long been monitoring the 25-year-old Semenyo. This season, not only has Mohamed Salah struggled for form (only scoring two goals in the first nine league games), but he will also leave the team at the end of the year to participate in the Africa Cup of Nations. Therefore, the club is weighing whether to launch a signing process in the January window to enhance competition for this position. Semenyo, on the other hand, does not need to participate in the Africa Cup of Nations, as Ghana failed to qualify for this year’s tournament held in Morocco.
Liverpool spent nearly £450 million rebuilding their forward line this summer, but they are still looking for long-term successors to Salah and center-back Virgil van Dijk. In accordance with the Premier League Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR), after balancing their record-breaking spending by selling players such as Darwin Núñez and Luis Díaz, the Reds still have financial room to make further signings.
Semenyo came close to leaving this summer, but the offers from Manchester United and Tottenham both failed to meet Bournemouth’s valuation. Instead, the club used these low offers to convince the player to sign a new contract with better terms. However, it is believed that the new contract includes a release clause, which adds uncertainty to a potential transfer. Although the specific amount has not been disclosed (it has been confirmed to be less than £100 million), there are signs that Liverpool may try to activate this clause in the January window—Bournemouth’s asking price for the player this summer was around £75 million.
Notably, Liverpool signed Caoimhín Kelleher from Bournemouth this summer, and Director of Football Richard Hughes worked at the south coast club until March 2024, meaning there are existing personnel connections between the two sides.
In addition to Liverpool, Tottenham, Manchester United and a number of overseas clubs still maintain interest in Semenyo, but the key point is that Bournemouth are eager to keep the player until at least the end of this season.